DiscoveRx snags BioSeek for drug development

Drug discovery contractor DiscoveRx is paying an undisclosed sum to acquire BioSeek, maker of a proprietary screening tech it says can speed the identification of new drug candidates.

BioSeek's BioMAP systems use primary human cell-based disease models to predict how drug candidates will react in the body, helping clients determine toxicity and bioavailability. DiscoveRx CEO Pyare Khanna said BioSeek's technology dovetails with what the company already does but also adds two new capabilities: Expertise in primary cell disease models and a highly differentiated compound characterization service.

"These new capabilities further strengthen our position as a premier drug discovery solution provider that develops and commercializes high-value products and specialized services," Khanna said in a statement.

BioSeek brings in its own established customer and partner base, DiscoveRx said, many of them outside the pharmaceutical industry. BioSeek recently received a $46 million grant from the EPA to help predict the biological activity and potential toxicity of environmental chemicals.

DiscoveRx is buying BioSeek from parent company Asterand, which specializes in human tissue research, and the pairing will help BioSeek boost its profile in the industry, Asterand CEO Jack Davis said. "BioSeek has become an integral part of the pharmaceutical industry's drug discovery programs, and in joining DiscoveRx, it will gain the opportunity to expand the utility of BioMAP technology platform even further," Davis said in a statement.